As Nas opened the Tribeca Film Festival With his Documentary ‘Time Is Illmatic’, he received much praise from fellow lyricists as well as top notch celebs, including veteran actors. Robert Deniro co founder of the festival, introduced the film, that has been 10 years in the making!

The Beacon Theatre was filled with Nas aficionados as the Hip Hop vet, geared up to debut his anticipated film, and perform cuts from the ‘Illmatic’ album. Nas performed the nostalgic hits, with some help from another East Coast native, Alicia keys on the keys.

“From his lyrics and the way he conducts himself — being able to write a song backwards, or from the perspective of a gun, pushing the envelope from a creative standpoint — my hat tips off to him and I want to follow those footsteps.” Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon the Chef called Illmatic “one of New York’s anthem albums.” Quoting Nas’ lyrics, he continued, “He’s a ‘golden child’ — he presented himself as an emcee format in a formal way, and he delivers, twenty years later.”